One Corpse Too Many, by Ellis Peters

This is the second in the mystery series featuring Brother Caedfell, a well-traveled monk who makes use of sharp skills of observation to solve mysteries.  These stories are set in the English middle ages, and Peters does a great job of making the setting, characters, and Brother Caedfell's detective role believable.  This is a fairly straightforward murder mystery, but also involves some intrigue over the rivalry for the English throne.  A fun read.  188 pages.

Corridors of the night by Anne Perry

Hester, Monk, and Scruff their adopted street urchin are back on the case in this latest installment of the William Monk series.  Hester has agreed to take over the night nursing duties of a friend called away on a family emergency. On her first night, she encounters a young girl calling for someone to help her dying brother.  What are children doing in the Royal Naval Hospital? Why does Hester fail to return home after a shift at the hospital? Monk and Scruff call on all their friends to help find out what has happened to Hester.

The first part of the book is a fast paced search for Hester against the backdrop of medical care in post-Crimean War England.  Imagine a time when patients routinely bled to death because doctors didn't know how to give blood transfusions. Perry makes the reader question just how far medical research should go in search of life-saving treatments. As is always the case in the series, the solving of the crime is followed by the court case.  I found this part of the book less interesting and the ending a bit abrupt, as if Perry didn't know how to end the story.  If you like the series, you will enjoy reading about the continuing development of Hester and Monk's family and friends in the Corridors of the Night. 271 pages.

Leaving everything most loved : a novel by Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs has reached a crossroads.  Her lover James Compton is moving to Canada to help test prototype war planes, her assistant Billy Beale is ready to start a new life with his family, and Maisie can't decide if she wants to continue her detective business, start teaching, or travel. Before she can make a decision, she's asked to investigate the murder of an Indian nanny.  The nanny had left her family behind in India to come to England to earn enough money to start a school for young girls. In the course of the investigation Maisie becomes intrigued by Indian culture.  Was the nanny murdered for betraying her family's values? What will Maisie decide to do?  I can't wait to read what happens next! 339 pages.

Blind Justice by Anne Perry

In this latest book of the William Monk series, Anne Perry takes up the question of how we respond to the impartiality of the law.  Oliver Rathbone is now a judge.  He's been assigned to preside over the case of a popular preacher accused of misappropriating funds.  The prosecuting attorney is losing the case, thanks to the damning testimony of a defense witness.  Rathbone has photographic evidence that the defense witness is not reliable.  Should he break the law and leak the photograph to the prosecuting attorney so that justice is served?  Or should he obey the law and see a guilty man go free? 362 pages.

Dark Fire by C.J.Sansom

A historical mystery novel featuring lawyer Matthew Shardlake as a reluctant investigator for Thomas Cromwell into two murders that involve secret military weaponry, the 'dark fire' or 'Greek fire' that can burn even on water. London in 1540 is well drawn, although the various characters involved in a plot against Cromwell are at times hard to sort out.  Very enjoyable on both the history and mystery levels, and Shardlake is a strong character.  498 pg.

A River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters

Oh I love to read about Amelia Peabody! I laugh aloud at her pithy observations about the people she and her husband Emerson encounter on their various archaeological adventures.  In this outing, Amelia and company go to Palestine in search of a German spy. The book includes a map of Jerusalem detailing all the ancient quarters of the city.  Amelia and Emerson visit all the digs taking place around the city, searching for a clue to who the spy could be and what they could possibly be up to in Palestine.  An enjoyable romp!  307 pages.

Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

J.K. Rowling, writing as Robert Galbraith, introduces an interesting new character.  Cormoran Strike is a former military policeman who lost a leg serving in Afghanistan.  Now he's a struggling private detective who has just been paid a large advance to investigate the suicide of super model Lula Landry.  Rowling takes her time introducing and giving the back story of each new character Cormoran meets during his investigation.  The mystery behind Lula's death is almost an afterthought.  I hope this is the first of a new series of novels by J. K. Rowling.  464 pages.

Christmas Crumble by M.C. Beaton

In this delightful short story, amateur sleuth Agatha Raisin is feeling in the Christmas spirit so she decides to invite six elderly, lonely people to her home for a Christmas meal. Unfortunately, during the course of the meal one of her guests dies and it looks like Agatha might be up for manslaughter. (Can her cooking really be that bad??) A bit of slapdash fun for the holidays. 32 pages.